South Australian Forecast (issued Friday 1st May)

Best Days: Sunday both coasts, Tuesday Mid Coast for a stormy, Wednesday South Coast, Friday both coasts

Recap

Small workable waves across the South Coast yesterday with tiny waves on the Mid. Today a little more size was seen down South with straighter offshore winds, providing good surf at exposed breaks.

This weekend (May 2 – May 3)

The South Coast will be the pick tomorrow morning but there won't be much size around. Today's swell is expected to ease with Waits really the only option for a wave under fresh NW tending W/NW winds ahead of an afternoon W/SW change.

The Mid Coast should see a good kick in size to 2-3ft through the afternoon but with that onshore wind conditions will be poor. The source of this swell is a mid-latitude low pushing in from the West and come Sunday it'll pass us with clean conditions expected across both coasts as the swell eases from 2-3ft on the Mid Coast and 2-3ft at Middleton with 3-5ft sets at Waits and Parsons.

Monday onwards (May 4 onwards)

The outlook for next week is quite dynamic with a mix of moderate to large W/SW groundswell and larger short-range swell due to kick in through Tuesday.

The long-range W/SW groundswell is being generated by a vigorous polar low currently south-west of WA, but as this pushes up into WA, a deep and powerful mid-latitude low is expected to spawn off it, directing a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force W/SW winds through the Bight and into the Mid and then South Coast.

A large stormy W/SW swell will result, coming in at 3-4ft across the Mid Coast Tuesday morning (easing through the day) with the South Coast offering stormy 5-6ft waves at Middleton with 8ft sets at Waits and Parsons.

Conditions will be poor across both coasts Tuesday as the low pushes past with strong to gale-force but easing W/SW winds.

Come Wednesday the South Coast looks great as winds tend back to the W/NW.

Into Thursday/Friday and also Saturday two large pulses of S/SW groundswell are expected as the strong node of the Long Wave Trough pushes further east, directing two vigorous polar frontal systems up towards Victoria.

This should produce two large long-period S/SW groundswells that look to be both in the easy 6ft range across Middleton and 2ft to possible 3ft across the Mid but winds will generally be best for the Victor region.

As the swell builds Thursday weakening SW winds are due with offshore N/NW winds Friday morning, creating excellent conditions down South. The Mid may even see a morning NE'ly. The weekend will then see winds from the north-western quadrant, but more on this Monday. Have a great weekend!